Working forests can serve many purposes at once – in addition to producing timber, they can support wildlife, provide recreational access, and contribute to the communities around them.
On behalf of a client, Forest Investment Associates (FIA) recently supported the Green Mountain Club (GMC), a Vermont-based nonprofit founded in 1910, in securing two trail easements in Johnson, Vermont. The easements will help protect both the current and future route of the Long Trail, the oldest long-distance hiking trail in the United States.

Stretching along the spine of Vermont’s Green Mountains from the Massachusetts border to Canada, the Long Trail is an important part of the state’s natural and recreational heritage. The broader 500-mile Long Trail System welcomes thousands of hikers and visitors each year and provides meaningful recreational, economic, and community benefits throughout the region.

“Since 1986, the Green Mountain Club has been working with partners and landowners to form a permanently protected route for the Long Trail. These trail easements provide critical links in the continuity of the protected trail corridor,” explained Mollie Flanigan, Director of Land Conservation at the Green Mountain Club. “GMC is tremendously grateful to FIA and their client for supporting recreation in Vermont and ensuring the future route of the Long Trail across their property.”

The newly protected area includes approximately 0.37 miles of the existing trail and 0.8 miles of planned relocation along Dry Ridge. The relocation will provide a more secure and continuous trail route while helping ensure that the area remains accessible to the public for years to come.

The project is part of the Green Mountain Club’s Trail Protection Campaign, which aims to permanently protect the entire 272-mile Long Trail across Vermont. With the addition of the Dry Ridge easements, more than 98% of the Long Trail is now protected.

“FIA and our client are pleased to support the Green Mountain Club’s efforts to protect the future route of the Long Trail through Johnson,” said Bryan Blankenship, Northern Region Operations Manager at FIA. “Projects like this show how working forests and responsible land management can go hand in hand with conservation and public recreation.”

For more than 40 years, FIA has recognized the important role that working forests can play beyond timber production. Partnerships like this demonstrate how sustainably managed forestland can also help protect natural resources, preserve recreational opportunities, and contribute to the communities that surround them. They also highlight the value of partnerships. Organizations such as the GMC demonstrate how shared stewardship can bring together local knowledge, community connections, and a long-term commitment to the places they serve, while landowners and forest managers play an important role in supporting these conservation efforts.

We’re grateful to the Green Mountain Club for its continued stewardship of the Long Trail and proud to support efforts that will help preserve this important resource for future generations.